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Oh no. Chanel No. 19 Changed?

post #1 of 28
1/15/09 at 6:29pm
Thread Starter 
I previously heard that the "leather" note had been removed from the parfum and the EDP, which did not surprise me because the EDT already lacked a leather note. But I didn't think the EDT was going to be changed.
Tonight I tried a tester, having run out of my old EDT. The new tester weaker.
The vetiver note seemed dominant and the iris more subdued. The lovely galbanum and rose de mai combination was less pronounced.
Did I just get a bad tester?
Please, someone, go do a reality check for me.
Especially if you can find one of the newest bottles and compare it to your old bottle.
(I also tried Coco. It smells the same. So my nose isn't malfunctioning.)
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post #2 of 28
1/15/09 at 6:37pm
this is too scary. the leather note is what makes me love it. and im nearly out of edp!
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post #3 of 28
1/15/09 at 7:13pm
Purplebird, I have what I believe to be a newer EDT, and I really don't get any leather from it. The galbanum and rose are plenty powerful, though, and the oakmoss is still in it, although probably only a small amount.

If you tried a tester that has been sitting out on the counter for ages, it wouldn't surprise me if it had lost some of its more delicate notes. I can send you a sample of mine if you want.
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post #4 of 28
1/15/09 at 7:29pm
Thread Starter 
.................
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post #5 of 28
1/15/09 at 7:32pm
Thread Starter 
After an hour, the old and the new EDTs do smell more similar, but it still missed the beautiful opening notes.
I really do hope the tester was bad because the top notes were not gorgeous and full like my old bottle.
Let's see how some more of the the people respond before you have to send me a sample, Asha. I might have to take you up on your offer for a ml of the new stuff. That bottle I smelled was inferior.
Hillaire, don't let me scare you. I heard that the leather note was removed, but I don't have any new EDP or parfum to substantiate that claim. Those concentrations are very hard to find. The only concentration marketed widely by Chanel is EDT at this time.
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post #6 of 28
1/15/09 at 7:34pm
i wondered i have a c 1999 refillable edp (the silver can) and havent seen the refills anywhere... so lame
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post #7 of 28
1/15/09 at 7:40pm
this is my fave site for odd stuff. esp old packaging on some classics.

i'm nice to share,

http://www.99perfume.com/Chanel/CHAN...122U_prod.html
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post #8 of 28
1/15/09 at 8:40pm
I will receive a bottle of vintage parfum soon, so will have another comparison to make, also.
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post #9 of 28
1/16/09 at 6:20am
Thread Starter 
I don't see the EDP or parfum for sale at all in the US.
Once, I considered buying it from the Hudson Bay Co. in Canada.
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post #10 of 28
1/16/09 at 6:33am
I ordered mine from eBay, so there is a bit of a risk. However, the bottle has the original seal, there is no evaopration, and the color of the juice looks right. The seller deals in fragrances and has 100% feedback. She does have a few bottles of No.19, mostly parfum and mostly big bottles. Once I get my bottle, I'll give more feedback on this experience.
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post #11 of 28
1/16/09 at 6:39am
bois de jasmin wrote about it being reformulated a while ago. the old juice and new juice are of different colour too.

http://boisdejasmin.typepad.com/_/20...nel_no_19.html
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post #12 of 28
1/16/09 at 11:00am
Oh, I did send a link to a US retailer that has the edp in my previous post. Did it work?
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post #13 of 28
1/16/09 at 2:00pm
I have a mini of No. 19 in parfum. It was part of the "holiday 2008" coffret, along with No. 5, Coco, Coco Mlle, and Allure. I'm not sure if the coffret is still available in the usual retail outlets (mine from Neiman's). I also have a mini of the EDT, which I have not tried in a while. I can try it later tonight to see how similar it is to the parfum. (I'm fairly certain that I can pick up the leather in the parfum, btw.) Also, I've heard that the EDP and parfum formulations are available in the boutiques, but I haven't had a chance to check (yet!). I've also seen the other formulations ("other" than EDT) available on some online retailers' sites - maybe BeautyEncounter? (not affil, of course).
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post #14 of 28
1/16/09 at 2:28pm
Thread Starter 
Yes, Hillaire, the link worked, thanks.
I get so confused as to what is discontinued and what is current when the actual Chanel distributors in the US refuse to carry anything but EDT, and the same holds true for Guerlain distributors. For some reason, parfums don't sell as well as they do in Europe, and an American has to break her neck trying to find them, wondering all the while if they are "seconds" or "overstock."
I would rather have fresh perfume than "low prices."
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post #15 of 28
1/16/09 at 4:49pm
Please elaborate because I was seriously thinking about buying a bottle of this from them, but I don't want "unfresh"-- if that's bad.
I know that site has older stuff, but I did find a couple of out-of-print scents that smell okay to me. My Edp of Chanel 19 is close to ten yrs, and it smells good to me, too. For that matter, I have Rive Gauche and Cabochard from the seventies that, I swear, have not turned yet. But I guess there are other considerations, like where it was stored to consider? Light and heat can ruin perfume. And some scents don't hold up well, either. But in general, I was imagining that it would be better-off older, if in fact the formula had changed. But I am happy to be educated.

You're right about America and the EDT concentration, though. In Germany (and France and Italy), you almost always see multiple concentrations available in stores, even the really basic scents. Even at the drugstores. I never even considered the "market" until this post; I guess I just thought since most scents were from Europe, they were more well-represented there.
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post #16 of 28
1/16/09 at 6:29pm
Thread Starter 
I have bought perfumes from warehouse distributors at discount prices, and I got some partially evaporated bottles. I don't know where discount retailers find their stock--secondhand from retail liquidations?
I'd just as soon know my fragrances have been kept in temperature controlled stores and that the stock has had some turnover. Really, price isn't as important to me as quality.
That's why I almost bought that No. 19 parfum from the Bay in Winnipeg at full price.
Another option is to use someone like The French Shopper on Ebay. She says she takes trips to Paris and buys all kinds of merchandise for people.
I don't mean to discourage people from using discount perfume dealers on websites. Everyone has had some good experiences with them, and I'm no exception. I guess I'm just risk-averse.
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post #17 of 28
1/16/09 at 9:00pm
Thanks for the site Hillaire, my grandma used to wears no 19 and when she ran out of it I bought her a new bottle for Christmas, hope I didn't get her a reformulated version
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post #18 of 28
1/17/09 at 5:13pm
Thread Starter 
What really frightens me is that the chemical industry invented a synthetic iris that doesn't take two or three years of macerating iris roots to produce. The iris note is my favorite aspect of No. 19, and I have smelled real orris butter and it is HEAVENLY. If it ever gets replaced with the cheaper synthetic, that fragrance is doomed.
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post #19 of 28
1/17/09 at 5:36pm
I got my bottle today, and CAN'T OPEN IT...grr. Must search the archives for messages on this. I suspect it is from the 70's or a bit earlier, so it should have the old formulation. At least with a well seated stopper, there should be very little oxidation.
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post #20 of 28
1/17/09 at 7:29pm
I am here to report SUCCESS! Thanks to the Socalwoman technique of using a nutcracker to get extra leverage on the stopper.

Now I am basking in a carroty, rooty, iris heaven--the galbanum is not as strong in the vintage parfum as my modern EDT. I love parfum...No.19 is glorious in this form.
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post #21 of 28
1/17/09 at 7:35pm
Oh I am glad you were able to open it. I found this thread with some interesting advice:

http://community.basenotes.net/showthread.php?t=220501
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post #22 of 28
1/17/09 at 7:41pm
Yes, I saw that one--it was fairly recent, and we still haven't been told yet if the bottle opened!

There were various threads about heating and cooling. I put the bottle in the freezer and blowed the neck with a blow drier, did this several times, rocked the stopper etc. But, when I used the nut cracker (over a towel), I got the leverage I needed to twist the stopper out. I am not sure the heating and cooling was needed, so next time I will try the nutcrackers first.
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post #23 of 28
1/18/09 at 8:12am
Thread Starter 
Kumuqat and I have gotten some very stubborn, old bottles open merely by storing them upside-down for awhile.
I bet that vintage No. 19 had plenty of real iris in it. As you say, carroty, rooty, iris heaven. That is probably one of my favorite notes in perfumery, and galbanum pairs with it so nicely.
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post #24 of 28
1/18/09 at 8:27am
Purplebird, I also got the leather note later in the middle drydown, and a lovely sweet (probably Nitro) musk as the lingering skin scent the next morning. I would say that this parfum is more balanced and enjoyable than the modern EDT I have, even though the EDT is wonderful.
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post #25 of 28
1/25/09 at 5:21pm
I'm reviving this thread. I'm really worried that I won't be able to replace my bottle when I run out.

My bottle of the EdT is a number of years old, in the silver canister. I thought I'd compare to the latest juice, so when I was at a shopping mall I sprayed testers in two different stores. The initial spray of each did not compare to mine well; they felt pale and watery. I gave it a half hour and some of what I understand to be Chanel 19 came through, but it took that long. Almost none of the leather note, and now hours passed, that sharpness (not sure what note, sorry) is gone. This is not the Chanel No. 19 I own and love.

Someone talk me down: I'm panicking that I won't be able to replace my bottle when I run out! Has it truly been reformulated, and if so, where can we find the good stuff?
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post #26 of 28
1/25/09 at 6:50pm
I don't think any of us can talk you down from buying a vintage backup bottle, if you run across one. I have the modern EDT and it is very good. However, now that I have smelled vintage parfum, I can see what the fuss is about. I got it on eBay, but that is always a gamble.

So, to answer your question--yes, the EDT was reformulated. The Chanel SA told me the parfum is discontinued, but I did see it in the coffret from this Xmas, so I can't say that is totally true.
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post #27 of 28
1/25/09 at 8:38pm
Thanks, Asha. It does help to know the difference I'm smelling is factual. I will give the new juice another go and try to appreciate it for it's own, but keep my eyes peeled.
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post #28 of 28
1/29/09 at 8:53am
I can smell the leather in both the edt and edp, where did you hear they removed it? I find that hard to believe, do you have a link? My mini bottle of edp (which came in their coffret) is three years old, I can still smell it. I also think the leather note is more pronounced in the edt and the floral notes emerge more to my nose in the edp, which is why I prefer it.

I think the color of No 19 might have changed more recently, but I'm not sure they changed the notes. I'm curious to know if this is true or just speculation, thanks!
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